Philippines
University of the Philippines
Advancing Green Chemistry Through Education
The Philippines has vast agricultural resources that can be used to develop sustainable chemical products and processes. Yet, as the country faces the growing impacts of climate change, realizing the potential of green chemistry necessitates more than scientific innovation. It requires a well-trained workforce. That is where Hazel Joyce M. Ramirez, an assistant professor at the University of the Philippines College of Education, comes in.
Ramirez enrolled in the Green Chemistry for Climate and Sustainability certificate program to gain technical skills and advance green chemistry in her capacity as an educator. The program expanded her understanding of systems thinking and helped her build bridges between research, industry, and academia.
“As an educator committed to being a catalyst for transformative change, I saw the program as a strategic opportunity to deepen my expertise and learn from leading scholars,” she said.
Ramirez, who is currently pursuing a doctorate in education at the University of the Philippines, used her capstone project to support her dissertation research developing green chemistry curriculum materials. She said the knowledge and connections she gained in the program have inspired her to further leverage education as a platform to build the human capital needed for a resilient and responsive enterprise.
“I recognize how much my understanding of green chemistry has evolved, not just in technical knowledge, but in purpose and pedagogical direction,” she said. “The program equipped me with practical tools, frameworks, and perspectives that strengthened my confidence in intentionally creating green and sustainable chemistry learning environments.”
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California’s Central Valley is among the most productive agricultural regions in the world. That productivity, though, requires a lot of fertilizer, which can cause nutrient pollution when not thoughtfully managed. Luis Ceron grew up in this veritable breadbasket and is now tackling that challenge as a fertilizer chemist at ICL Growing Solutions, a manufacturer of specialty plant nutrition products. He enrolled in the Green Chemistry for Climate and Sustainability certificate program to develop new technical skills for formulating improved agrochemical products.
“I saw the program as an opportunity to better understand sustainable chemistry practices and how they can be applied in my field,” Ceron said. “It broadened my perspective on sustainable food production and the future of green chemistry in agriculture.”
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